Amazon sword question

This is a discussion on Amazon sword question within the Beginner Planted Aquarium forums, part of the Beginner Freshwater Aquarium category; -->
I got a question about a plant ..I have a amazon sword and its huge now its got a ''stem'' lookin thing coming out ...

I got a question about a plant ..I have a amazon sword and its huge now its got a ''stem'' lookin thing coming out of it .? is that normal ? its already out above the water level . What do I do ?. I never had amazon swords before this I got 3 now had for awhile and the big ones doin this the other 2 are alot smaller than the one with the stem thing and dont have a stem coming out . I thought they were just big leafy plants wasnt expecting this lol can I cut the stem and replant it or something? If this is odd let me know I'll take a pic an post it if not I'm sory I'm new to swords and reading this post thought it was a good time to bring up the question

I got a question about a plant ..I have a amazon sword and its huge now its got a ''stem'' lookin thing coming out of it .? is that normal ? its already out above the water level . What do I do ?. I never had amazon swords before this I got 3 now had for awhile and the big ones doin this the other 2 are alot smaller than the one with the stem thing and dont have a stem coming out . I thought they were just big leafy plants wasnt expecting this lol can I cut the stem and replant it or something? If this is odd let me know I'll take a pic an post it if not I'm sory I'm new to swords and reading this post thought it was a good time to bring up the question

If it is growing up to the surface it probably is a flower stalk. And will grow outta the water and get fuzzy. that's the flowers and I have never gotten seeds from them.

If it is growing along the sand it is a runner and will forma new plant in the substrate

Charlie, I moved your post and bob's response post out of the other thread and started a new thread. The topic is new so a new thread is best.

As bob said, the "stem" is what we call a flower stalk or, to give it is proper name, an inflorescence. When the plant is grown submersed, flowers rarely appear on these, but adventitious plants, sometimes called daughter plants or plantlets, will grow from the nodes. You can leave all this, or remove some or all of the adventitious plants when they are of sufficient size which means leaves about 2-3 inches and some white roots. You will usually have two adventitious plants from each node; they will look like one but when you remove them you will see they are actually two distinct plants.

Runners are not formed by plants in Echinodorus. The commonly-called pygmy chain sword and chain sword plants do form runners, never inflorescences if grown submersed, along the substrate from which adventitious plants (never flowers) will appear at regular intervals. These species used to be in
Echinodorus, but are now in Helanthium. Read more in the profiles (click shaded names).

I mentioned submersed growth; these plants are all bog or marsh plants, spending half the year submersed and half emersed. Read more on this in the profiles, example Echinodorus bleherae.

Charlie, eons ago I had one take over a 29 gallon tank. It would occasionally send up a flower stalk. You're definitely doing something right. Mine was raised under incandescent lights and with an undergravel filter (high tech at the time).

Hey FMonger , Thanks !! I had them all in my community tank with some other bogotus or something cant spell sory . So as the community tank was kinda overstocked with plants I moved the sword ( 2 ) of them anyway to my grow out tank ,. wich at the present is a betta heavan lol the fry are big enough and been put back in the comm tank . But the sword really took off when we put it in the smaller tank , the one in the big tank hasnt grown at all . Any ideas on reasons for that ? could it be that with all the other plants it just cant get enough of this or that ? or could it be that the lights in the big tank are to high for it and the smaller tanks lights are closer to it .? I use seachams flourish and api tabs together everything is very green ecxept a couple ferns that have always been kinda light shade of green , but are growing good so I think its normal color for them . I cant find them in the profiles so Im just guessin lol . But thanks agin for the complament on the sword

Hey FMonger , Thanks !! I had them all in my community tank with some other bogotus or something cant spell sory . So as the community tank was kinda overstocked with plants I moved the sword ( 2 ) of them anyway to my grow out tank ,. wich at the present is a betta heavan lol the fry are big enough and been put back in the comm tank . But the sword really took off when we put it in the smaller tank , the one in the big tank hasnt grown at all . Any ideas on reasons for that ? could it be that with all the other plants it just cant get enough of this or that ? or could it be that the lights in the big tank are to high for it and the smaller tanks lights are closer to it .? I use seachams flourish and api tabs together everything is very green ecxept a couple ferns that have always been kinda light shade of green , but are growing good so I think its normal color for them . I cant find them in the profiles so Im just guessin lol . But thanks agin for the complament on the sword

What is different about the tanks other than the size ? Different types of lights ? Different substrate ? Different level of stocking ? I know that they're moderate light plants that are heavy root feeders. Seems like you've got the feeding covered. Is there a big difference in how long the tanks have been running ? You're looking for answers and I'm asking question

As it mentions in the profile (and I am assuming we are talking about the common amazon sword, Echinodorus bleherae or more technically E. grisebachii as it explains in the profile) this plant can reach 20 inches and may grow to the surface. I have had this plant in several tanks, attaining varying sizes, so clearly this depends upon light and nutrients.

But to demonstrate how variable it can be: we have for years had distinct species of sword plants available. Echinodorus bleherae is the most commonly seen, with E. amazonicus very similar but said to be smaller in size. Botanical studies however indicate that these are one and the same species. And furthermore, E. parviflorus and E. grisebachii are also the same identical species. This thinking that these four "species" are in fact the same one has been around a while; Haynes & Holm-Nielsen proposed this in 1994, but it wasn't generally accepted because of the variation in the four "species" when grown in the aquarium. But in 2007, the Finnish botanist Samuli Lehtonen who has perhaps studied the Echinodorus genus more than anyone alive did cladistic and DNA tests and determined that the four "species" are in fact one species without any doubt. The different forms of growth are not explained, but the point is that this shows how variable these plants can appear from tank to tank.

By the way, the photo back in post # 6 is not of the species we are discussing. I have had this species flower in my tanks and the flowers produced on the inflorescence are as shown in the photo below. I'm not sure the prior photo is Echinodorus, I went to Mongabay and the submitter seems to be asking for ID. I did a quick leaf through Rataj and can't see any Echinodorus flowers resembling that spike, but I don't insist as it was a very quick look.

Hey everyone , tanks for the help and the approval on the swords growth Almost thought I killed them for awhile lol now they have stems and flower buds lol things can change in a second with plants .

Fmonger , The tanks are alot diffrent as far as age , I got the grow out a few weeks ago just finished cyclein and threw in guppy fry, plants, an shrimp . Now the fry are big enough and what hasnt been sold is in the community tank with the rest of the family . It now houses a betta the only betta in fact that is left from our wal-mart rescue ''Alpha'' a half veil ?? I think he is ...one of those...not real familiar with bettas still as far as types anyway I've learned about care , but my knowledge of types is limited to crowntails , bubbletails those two are the only ones I can identify really . Anyway off topic sory . But alpha is the only fish and about 6-7 ghost shrimp .Same sub exactly as the other tank I took it out of the community tank as a matter of fact lolThe lights are diffrent I have a t8 on one side and a blue daylight on the other side .I think thats all the questions you asked...if I missed one let me know . The grow out is a cheapy compared to my comm tank but is doing great and the water stays clear in it more so than the big tank hmmmm . wich is odd to me to .